RIU Playacar?

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

Just wondering what this hotel is like. Anyone recently been to Riu Playacar? We made reservations to this hotel. Can you pay extra to be moved to Yucatan or Palace Mexico?

Bryzee · 01-13-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatLakes

Just wondering what this hotel is like. Anyone recently been to Riu Playacar? We made reservations to this hotel. Can you pay extra to be moved to Yucatan or Palace Mexico?

Riu Playacar is a great location.....right beside the othe Riu resorts in the Playacar
area. You can enjoy the facilities also at Yucatan and Tequila.....the Palace is
an upgrade.Riu Playacar has a wonderful beach....pool area....very nice grounds.
.................................................. .................................................. .......................

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

How long ago were you there?

Conard10 · 01-13-2007

Here's the review I posted on TripAdvisor....

To give you some perspective, my husband and I (both 30 yrs old) have traveled to Mexico several times…to both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. We have stayed in many all-inclusive resorts, some considered a 3 star, others a 5-6 star.

BEACH: The beach was large and very nice. As other’s have mentioned, many of the hotels in this area have lost most of their beach, but the RIU Playacar beach was one of the nicest beaches. There were plenty of chairs and lots of areas with shade.

POOL: The weather before we arrived was rather cold, so the pool was pretty chilly…but very refreshing. There were 2 sections…one had the swin-up bar and was where the activities took place. The other section was very quiet and relaxing. There where plenty of chairs, and like the beach, had several areas with shade. Overall the pool was nice, but it wasn’t as clean as other resorts where we have stayed.

What I found interesting, was that unlike most resorts that have very few areas of shade, it was actually more difficult to find chairs with sun than with shade.

SERVICE: The service was great! Even at check-in…we were able to get in our room at 10am. We didn’t like the location of the first room and they let us move immediately.

FOOD: We found the food to be very good. The buffet had a huge variety and we liked just about everything. The buffet restaurant by the beach was open all day….so, if you wanted a snack or a drink you could just walk in and get it. They had soft drinks and beer on tap you could get yourself…this was really nice!! With this said…BRING AN INSULATED MUG!!!!!! The cups are super-small…I can’t stress enough how nice it was to have a big mug. We really enjoy going into the town of PDC so we only ate dinner at the resort a couple times and didn’t try the Specialty restaurants.

ROOM: Ok, I left the negative part for last. I want to first say that we are not those picky people who write ridiculous comments…but, the rooms were pretty bad. I was surprised to read the other reviews that said the rooms were great. I would first like to say that when we arrive they asked us if we wanted a king bed…of course we wanted a king! But, when they took us to the room it was horrible, very small and the balcony had a tall wall and overlooked a service area. We went to switch rooms and they said they only had a few king beds and those rooms were on the “corners”…so, I would say, avoid the king bed rooms. We then asked for a room overlooking the walkway….these had a much nicer view and were larger. But, there were bugs! This was the first time we have ever experienced this in Mexico. There were little tiny bugs in the bathroom area and tiny ants all over the room. The gross part was…I opened a soda, put it on the nightstand, and 5 minutes later when I reached for the soda there were ants all over it!!! That completely creeped me out. The TV didn't have good reception and was difficult to watch. The beds….well we are used to the beds being hard in Mexico, but these were really hard and the pillows were like rocks…and the bedding, well it didn’t make me feel very comfortable.

Overall, we did enjoy our stay, but if you’re looking for more of a luxury hotel with a “more modern look”, this may not be the hotel for you.

If you do choose this hotel…remember to ask for a hotel overlooking the walkway and bring an insulated mug!

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conard10

Here's the review I posted on TripAdvisor....

To give you some perspective, my husband and I (both 30 yrs old) have traveled to Mexico several times…to both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. We have stayed in many all-inclusive resorts, some considered a 3 star, others a 5-6 star.

BEACH: The beach was large and very nice. As other’s have mentioned, many of the hotels in this area have lost most of their beach, but the RIU Playacar beach was one of the nicest beaches. There were plenty of chairs and lots of areas with shade.

POOL: The weather before we arrived was rather cold, so the pool was pretty chilly…but very refreshing. There were 2 sections…one had the swin-up bar and was where the activities took place. The other section was very quiet and relaxing. There where plenty of chairs, and like the beach, had several areas with shade. Overall the pool was nice, but it wasn’t as clean as other resorts where we have stayed.

What I found interesting, was that unlike most resorts that have very few areas of shade, it was actually more difficult to find chairs with sun than with shade.

SERVICE: The service was great! Even at check-in…we were able to get in our room at 10am. We didn’t like the location of the first room and they let us move immediately.

FOOD: We found the food to be very good. The buffet had a huge variety and we liked just about everything. The buffet restaurant by the beach was open all day….so, if you wanted a snack or a drink you could just walk in and get it. They had soft drinks and beer on tap you could get yourself…this was really nice!! With this said…BRING AN INSULATED MUG!!!!!! The cups are super-small…I can’t stress enough how nice it was to have a big mug. We really enjoy going into the town of PDC so we only ate dinner at the resort a couple times and didn’t try the Specialty restaurants.

ROOM: Ok, I left the negative part for last. I want to first say that we are not those picky people who write ridiculous comments…but, the rooms were pretty bad. I was surprised to read the other reviews that said the rooms were great. I would first like to say that when we arrive they asked us if we wanted a king bed…of course we wanted a king! But, when they took us to the room it was horrible, very small and the balcony had a tall wall and overlooked a service area. We went to switch rooms and they said they only had a few king beds and those rooms were on the “corners”…so, I would say, avoid the king bed rooms. We then asked for a room overlooking the walkway….these had a much nicer view and were larger. But, there were bugs! This was the first time we have ever experienced this in Mexico. There were little tiny bugs in the bathroom area and tiny ants all over the room. The gross part was…I opened a soda, put it on the nightstand, and 5 minutes later when I reached for the soda there were ants all over it!!! That completely creeped me out. The TV didn't have good reception and was difficult to watch. The beds….well we are used to the beds being hard in Mexico, but these were really hard and the pillows were like rocks…and the bedding, well it didn’t make me feel very comfortable.

Overall, we did enjoy our stay, but if you’re looking for more of a luxury hotel with a “more modern look”, this may not be the hotel for you.

If you do choose this hotel…remember to ask for a hotel overlooking the walkway and bring an insulated mug!

I have a bad feeling about the Playacar...........I heard the beach was gone. Is it?

pjdrummer · 01-13-2007

My wife and I are staying there in a few weeks also. I walked the beach in front of the RIU Playacar when we were in town last year at this time and the beach was nice! I have read good and bad about the resort but have never stayed there....we are giving it a try.
Any info from someone who has been there lately would be great.

**Shammy** · 01-13-2007

You should be (check with your travel agent!) able to pay extra and be moved anywhere - if that's what you want to do. The Yucatan is a comparable resort to the Playacar and just slightly more expensive. However, it has been renovated while the Playacar has not (but needs to be!) and the beach area is better here because it's more south of where the majority of the erosion has taken place. The Palace is in a class of it's own - it's more upscale, less family friendly and a top of the line Riu property. This resort will cost a bit more $$$ to upgrade to...but it'll be quite a treat if you do.

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shammy

You should be (check with your travel agent!) able to pay extra and be moved anywhere - if that's what you want to do. The Yucatan is a comparable resort to the Playacar and just slightly more expensive. However, it has been renovated while the Playacar has not (but needs to be!) and the beach area is better here because it's more south of where the majority of the erosion has taken place. The Palace is in a class of it's own - it's more upscale, less family friendly and a top of the line Riu property. This resort will cost a bit more $$$ to upgrade to...but it'll be quite a treat if you do.

Thanks, I wish we could go back to the Barcelo..........

**Shammy** · 01-13-2007

Why can't you?

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

Because I booked through FJ hotdeals for $2,400 for two. To change to BMC or BMT the cost was $4,600.

**Shammy** · 01-13-2007

Ooooooooooo, Ok - nevermind!

GreatLakes · 01-13-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shammy

Ooooooooooo, Ok - nevermind!

Btw Shammy you seem too make the rounds on the ........forums

greg1945 · 01-13-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatLakes

Just wondering what this hotel is like. Anyone recently been to Riu Playacar? We made reservations to this hotel. Can you pay extra to be moved to Yucatan or Palace Mexico?

Stayed there & loved it,you will TO

token2 · 01-13-2007

Been there a number of times and loved it. Its a smaller resort less walking then at the mega resorts. Seen some candid pictures recently at trip advisor they did seem to show some beach erosion compared to the pictures I have from last easter. The foods not bad there compared to other resorts. You can the go to the other RIU resorts which are walking distance in Playacar. We would have have gone back there again this year but we wanted to do the Newer section of Barcelo Maya.
Token2

Mark05 · 01-13-2007

We stayed last Thanksgiving for 7days. This was our 2nd Thanksgiving at the Playacar and probably will go again next Thanksgiving. The beach was actually larger Nov 06 than post Wilma Nov 05. We like the smaller hotel and still be able to go to the other Rius in the area. Go to the unofficial website for the Rius lots of info and maps.

01-13-2007	#1 (permalink)
GreatLakes añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hockeytown, USA Posts: 2,132	RIU Playacar? Just wondering what this hotel is like. Anyone recently been to Riu Playacar? We made reservations to this hotel. Can you pay extra to be moved to Yucatan or Palace Mexico?

01-13-2007	#3 (permalink)
GreatLakes añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hockeytown, USA Posts: 2,132	How long ago were you there?

01-13-2007	#4 (permalink)
Conard10 toe in water Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 42	Here's the review I posted on TripAdvisor.... To give you some perspective, my husband and I (both 30 yrs old) have traveled to Mexico several times…to both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. We have stayed in many all-inclusive resorts, some considered a 3 star, others a 5-6 star. BEACH: The beach was large and very nice. As other’s have mentioned, many of the hotels in this area have lost most of their beach, but the RIU Playacar beach was one of the nicest beaches. There were plenty of chairs and lots of areas with shade. POOL: The weather before we arrived was rather cold, so the pool was pretty chilly…but very refreshing. There were 2 sections…one had the swin-up bar and was where the activities took place. The other section was very quiet and relaxing. There where plenty of chairs, and like the beach, had several areas with shade. Overall the pool was nice, but it wasn’t as clean as other resorts where we have stayed. What I found interesting, was that unlike most resorts that have very few areas of shade, it was actually more difficult to find chairs with sun than with shade. SERVICE: The service was great! Even at check-in…we were able to get in our room at 10am. We didn’t like the location of the first room and they let us move immediately. FOOD: We found the food to be very good. The buffet had a huge variety and we liked just about everything. The buffet restaurant by the beach was open all day….so, if you wanted a snack or a drink you could just walk in and get it. They had soft drinks and beer on tap you could get yourself…this was really nice!! With this said…BRING AN INSULATED MUG!!!!!! The cups are super-small…I can’t stress enough how nice it was to have a big mug. We really enjoy going into the town of PDC so we only ate dinner at the resort a couple times and didn’t try the Specialty restaurants. ROOM: Ok, I left the negative part for last. I want to first say that we are not those picky people who write ridiculous comments…but, the rooms were pretty bad. I was surprised to read the other reviews that said the rooms were great. I would first like to say that when we arrive they asked us if we wanted a king bed…of course we wanted a king! But, when they took us to the room it was horrible, very small and the balcony had a tall wall and overlooked a service area. We went to switch rooms and they said they only had a few king beds and those rooms were on the “corners”…so, I would say, avoid the king bed rooms. We then asked for a room overlooking the walkway….these had a much nicer view and were larger. But, there were bugs! This was the first time we have ever experienced this in Mexico. There were little tiny bugs in the bathroom area and tiny ants all over the room. The gross part was…I opened a soda, put it on the nightstand, and 5 minutes later when I reached for the soda there were ants all over it!!! That completely creeped me out. The TV didn't have good reception and was difficult to watch. The beds….well we are used to the beds being hard in Mexico, but these were really hard and the pillows were like rocks…and the bedding, well it didn’t make me feel very comfortable. Overall, we did enjoy our stay, but if you’re looking for more of a luxury hotel with a “more modern look”, this may not be the hotel for you. If you do choose this hotel…remember to ask for a hotel overlooking the walkway and bring an insulated mug!

01-13-2007	#6 (permalink)
pjdrummer lost on fifth Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Duluth, MN Posts: 13	My wife and I are staying there in a few weeks also. I walked the beach in front of the RIU Playacar when we were in town last year at this time and the beach was nice! I have read good and bad about the resort but have never stayed there....we are giving it a try. Any info from someone who has been there lately would be great.

01-13-2007	#7 (permalink)
Shammy Travel Insurance Tester Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 17,486	You should be (check with your travel agent!) able to pay extra and be moved anywhere - if that's what you want to do. The Yucatan is a comparable resort to the Playacar and just slightly more expensive. However, it has been renovated while the Playacar has not (but needs to be!) and the beach area is better here because it's more south of where the majority of the erosion has taken place. The Palace is in a class of it's own - it's more upscale, less family friendly and a top of the line Riu property. This resort will cost a bit more $$$ to upgrade to...but it'll be quite a treat if you do.

01-13-2007	#9 (permalink)
Shammy Travel Insurance Tester Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 17,486	Why can't you?

01-13-2007	#10 (permalink)
GreatLakes añejo Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hockeytown, USA Posts: 2,132	Because I booked through FJ hotdeals for $2,400 for two. To change to BMC or BMT the cost was $4,600.

01-13-2007	#11 (permalink)
Shammy Travel Insurance Tester Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Joisey Shore Posts: 17,486	Ooooooooooo, Ok - nevermind!

01-13-2007	#14 (permalink)
token2 sandflea Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3	Been there a number of times and loved it. Its a smaller resort less walking then at the mega resorts. Seen some candid pictures recently at trip advisor they did seem to show some beach erosion compared to the pictures I have from last easter. The foods not bad there compared to other resorts. You can the go to the other RIU resorts which are walking distance in Playacar. We would have have gone back there again this year but we wanted to do the Newer section of Barcelo Maya. Token2

01-13-2007	#15 (permalink)
Mark05 life=playa Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ottumwa, Iowa Posts: 772	We stayed last Thanksgiving for 7days. This was our 2nd Thanksgiving at the Playacar and probably will go again next Thanksgiving. The beach was actually larger Nov 06 than post Wilma Nov 05. We like the smaller hotel and still be able to go to the other Rius in the area. Go to the unofficial website for the Rius lots of info and maps.

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